Should've Seen It Coming
by kingdomfictionalia
Summary: She had a lot of questions for him, but those things could wait. What's important for now was she got him there with her, alive and real. Set after Endgame; Steve decided not to go back 2023. Steggy fic. Don't like don't read.
1. Happy Birthday Indeed

**AN:** MCU fandom is so chaotic and I srsly hate being on twitter right now ever since endgame happened. So here I am, trying to distract myself from the hostility of it all. Anyway, I don't know if I'll add another chapter to this but let me know if you wanna see some domestic fluff and other shenanigans featuring these two.

**AN2:** This one took me a couple of revisions and I can't necessarily say I'm satisfied but it's there somehow. A feedback would mean a lot, thanks.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

* * *

April 1948

Peggy stepped into the diner looking around for her friend before spotting her chatting up with a man at the counter. She smirked and rolled her eyes before making her way towards one of the booths. She stopped immediately as she took one glance at the man with his back to her: broad build, tall, blond hair, and a smile that frequently haunted her after all this time.

_It's not real. It can't be real. It's been three years._

She clenched her jaw and grasped the gun inside her purse as she took cautious steps to the man at the counter. She cased the place as she did so, making sure that whoever that man was did not have any accomplices waiting for her to make a move.

Standing a little behind him, she pressed her gun to his side, acting as casual as she can to hide what was going on. "Don't you dare make another move. If you think I will be fooled by some impostor, then I hate to disappoint you," she whispered. Hoping that her friend would take quite a few more moments in the kitchen. "You will surrender whatever weapon or ammo you have, walk out of this diner, and tell your boss that you failed your mission."

Peggy noticed the upward turn of his lips and thought that maybe he would attack but instead he picked up his mug and sipped his coffee before speaking, "ma'am, I'd suggest that you put the gun away and we can talk about this. Search me if you want, but I'm unarmed."

Hearing _his_ voice made Peggy's composure falter. She pressed the gun harder to his side and saw his face scrunched up a bit, "I am not here to play your games so either do as I say or else you'll never see the light of day again."

The man sighed, "fine, and I hope if I surrender you would let me explain." He moved and pulled out something from his pocket and placed it on her outstretched 's grip and force on the gun slackened as she felt the compass on her hand.

She took a deep breath and opened the compass to find a younger version of herself staring back at her. She released a shaky breath and felt tears well up in her eyes. Before she could interrogate the man, however, Angie came back out from the kitchen with a smile on her face.

"Hey there English, what do you fancy for today?" Sensing something off with her, she tilted her head and asked, "you okay?"

Peggy cleared her throat and nodded, "never been better," she smiled. "I'll just have um, coffee and a sandwich; take out, please."

"Alright then, just one moment," before she disappeared back to the kitchen, she threw a wink at the man beside her and Peggy had to roll her eyes at that.

She turned to him, "where did you get this?" Her voice was shaking again. She noticed the similarities this man had with Steve but also noticed that he had a different aura with him. He looks tired, older, as if he'd been out into the war longer than anybody else.

"If you put the gun away, I'll be happy to explain."

Peggy reluctantly placed the gun back to her purse and stepped back a little as the man faced her. She took a sharp breath and held the compass tightly. "Steve?" She didn't want to believe, forcing her mind to be critical and skeptical. Trying to lock up any emotions that would betray the uncertainty she was supposed to be feeling.

* * *

Steve tried not to fidget when he felt the cold metal pressed against his side. This was not how he planned to see her. He wanted to show up to her place, probably bring something or anything to give to her, especially it's her birthday tomorrow.

He sensed the mixture of emotions evident in her voice. The confusion, anger, pain, and a whole lot more he could not decipher. He knew he had to prove his identity sooner to get out of this situation, so he brought out the compass and gave it to her. It might have done its job since the pain from the gun against him lessened.

When he turned to her, Steve felt that same warm feeling whenever she's around. The woman he saw back in 1970 was beautiful, but now, it was like he was back at camp, trying not to screw up his conversations with her. He didn't know how to talk to a woman, as she stated back then and Steve wondered if that was true or he just really got tongue-tied around her.

"Steve?" He was immediately transported back to the hospital in 2014. Visiting a much older Peggy Carter. His heart broke a little and he forced himself to smile and nod.

"Yeah Peg, it's me, I swear." He slowly reached out to her but she flinched and stepped back. His heart ached but he understood. After three years it must've been a shock and he didn't want to put her through an emotional roller coaster in public.

He retreated his hand in surrender and smiled sadly, "I get it. I'm sorry. I understand if you're confused and-" Angie came back and Steve immediately turned back to his coffee, acting as casual as he could.

Angie decided to ignore her friend's off demeanor and gave her the order, "here ya go Peg. You know, you owe me a few months of catching up after leaving for California."

Peggy smiled a little, "I'll make sure to keep that in mind, I am also quite thrilled to hear about your theater career."

"I'll take your word for it then," she bid farewell to Peggy before going back into the kitchen.

Peggy looked back at Steve who was trying not to eavesdrop on their conversation. He looked back at her and smiled again, "keep the compass. I'm sure you probably have no use for it but I'll be more comfortable if you have it with you. Kinda like I can keep you safe or something like that."

It broke his heart that he actually believed that the love of his life would take him back. He actually thought that it would be easy to go back into her life as if no time had passed. Now here he was, feeling like an idiot, reluctantly letting go of the woman of his dreams.

_At least you tried. It's better than not trying._

"You're leaving?" She asked.

Steve's eyes widened and suddenly he couldn't formulate a single word, "I-uh, I thought you, you were, um, only if you want me to."

He saw a small quirk of her lips and his heart was filled with a bit of hope.

"I don't want you to go," she took a deep breath, "but I can't do this right now." Peggy looked at him straight in the eye and he sat up straight subconsciously. She pulled out a pen and paper and wrote down her address, "burn this as soon as you reach my house. I will give you a chance to explain whatever is going on just to make sure you are not simply spying for an intel with regards to SSR."

"Yes ma'am."

She finally handed him the paper without breaking eye contact, "2000 hours, Captain," she turned around and walked out of the diner, leaving Steve gaping at her speechless.

* * *

Time could not go any faster when Steve was waiting all afternoon at his hotel room. Good thing his bank account was still active, he managed to buy some clothes to change into and bought flowers; fake ones, knowing she was allergic to them.

He arrived at her house five minutes before the assigned time to give himself a few moments to build up his courage and go over what he was going to tell her.

When he was ready, he raised his fist to knock but the door swung open and he smiled sheepishly. Peggy stood by the doorway, "heard you walk up the front porch five minutes ago and I wondered how long you planned to stand there staring at my floorboards." She gestured him to come in and asked him to sit on one of the chairs in the living room. As he sat down, she noticed the flowers and was about to speak when beat her to it.

"Oh, these are for you, don't worry, I made sure they're fake since you're allergic." Steve noticed the shocked expression on her face and smiled broadly as she took it.

Peggy ran her fingers on the petals lightly before she cleared her throat, "would you like something to drink?" Steve nodded and moved to stand when she stopped him, "oh you don't have to, I'll do it."

"I guess I'll have some coffee then."

Peggy disappeared to the kitchen and she released a sigh. She opened a drawer and placed her gun and its holster inside. She sneaked a glance at the flowers and smiled, she could count in one hand the people who knew she was allergic to flowers.

When she came back, she found Steve at the same spot and same position she left him as if he didn't move a single inch. She bit back a smile and placed down the tray on the table.

They let the silence envelope them for a few minutes, it wasn't like it's an awkward silence, but both could not deny that there's an elephant in the room that needed to be addressed. Peggy decided to break the silence, "let's just get this over with. Where have you been Steve? How did you survive that plane crash? Howard," her voice broke. "He's been searching everywhere for months after you-" she shook her head and sipped her tea.

Steve could hear the desperation and frustration in her tone, the pain and longing she must have felt. "If I tell you the story, you can't interrupt because I don't think I can go through with it. It's gonna be hard to believe but I swear everything I'll tell you is real and it really happened or will happen."

Peggy furrowed her eyebrows, she felt her stomach sink, "bloody hell," she muttered.

As Steve told his story of where he was or when he came from, Peggy's heart went out to him. She believed it, every single word that came out of his mouth, every event he said that happened, and every creature he mentioned that was quite out of this world. Still, she couldn't erase the feeling that he was leaving something behind, that he was keeping some things from her.

When he was done, she noticed his tears, silently streaming down his face and she didn't hold back anymore. She stood up and brought him with her as she wiped his tears, "it'll be okay. I've got you." She pulled him into a hug and Steve finally let the dam break.

It took him a while to calm down and Steve felt lighter as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "You're taking this whole time-travelling thing calmly."

"Well, it's too complicated to be fabricated. Besides, I've got you here after three years. I just got back in New York four months ago from a mind-boggling mission. I'll give it a few months or so for my mind to catch up."

They sat back down on the couch and Peggy took his hands, "after waking up in the ice, did you ever wonder where I am? Did you have any information about me?" She asked gently. She didn't hear anything about her, she wondered maybe he didn't care that much or maybe he lost his memory or maybe she didn't make it that far into the future.

"The first thing I realized after they told me I slept for almost 70 years is that I missed our date. You were one of SHIELD's founders so they have a file on you and I found out where you were and since then I started visiting."

"Really?"

Steve nodded, he needed to say this before they decide on anything that would change their dynamic. "Peg, I love you," Peggy's eyes widened and she was about to speak when he cut her off, "and I came back here to be with you. I disregarded the concept of time to be here because for once I want to choose me. To choose us, the life we could have had."

"Oh Steve," she whispered and squeezed his hands for comfort.

"But, when I found you, you already lived your life, you had kids, had a husband, a beautiful family. You established SHIELD from scratch. And I don't want to take any of that away from you. That life that you had, it's everything I ever wanted for you, even if it's not with me. As much as I want to be with you, I want you to be sure that this is what you want."

Peggy never met anyone as selfless and as thoughtful as he was and she loved him for it. She pulled him by his shirt and kissed him. She hoped that for now it's enough to convey her feelings towards him. She hoped it's enough to answer his question because she's too speechless to say anything.

Steve was in cloud nine. He remembered their first kiss and it was different than now. The one during the war was rushed but this, it's sweet, slow, and filled with promises of tomorrow. When they broke away, he smiled and cupped her face, "it's a yes then?"

Peggy chuckled and nodded, tears finally escaping her eyes. She wiped them away and the smile stayed on her face as they stared at each other. She wanted to memorize his face, she wanted to freeze this moment, cherish the feeling, and contain the love and happiness that surround them so that if this turned out to be a dream, then she'll have something to always look back to, no matter how painful.

Steve pulled her into a hug and dropped a kiss on top of her head. His mind drifted back to Tony and Nat and smirked, _you two better not be laughing at me wherever you are, I followed your advice_. He sighed; _you can rest now_. They were both silent, swaying gently on her living room and as he glanced at the clock, he noticed it was half past midnight. He pulled Peggy closer and whispered, "Happy birthday Peg."

She had a lot of questions for him, but those things could wait. What's important for now was she got him there with her, alive and real.

* * *

**AN:** Let me know your thoughts (and give me prompts if you want to have more chapters to this).

~kingdomfictionalia


	2. Perfect Sunny Day

**AN: **Time jump! Just a heads up that future chapters are not written chronologically. This will basically be a compilation of short fics/ideas. A glimpse into their life together.

* * *

July 1950

It was no secret that Captain America has returned from the dead, however, Steve decided he would not be in the front lines rather he agreed that he would only act as a consultant and back-up if necessary.

It didn't keep him from visiting his wife at work whenever he wanted though. So there he was, staring at the elevator doors waiting for it to open.

As soon as it did, he noticed the eerie silence of the floor, except for the muffled argument inside the conference room. The other agents were huddled near the door and windows trying to hear what the argument was all about. The agents looked at him and smirked, some cringed, and others shook their heads. He immediately knew that his wife was inside, possibly getting involved in the argument.

Since he was not part of the SSR, he cannot interrupt the meeting and had no choice but to wait outside. Ten minutes later, the door opened and all of them jumped when Peggy slammed the door behind her. She was seething with anger and frustration that she didn't notice Steve was in the room. Jack Thompson followed her out, "I'm your superior Carter, the majority of the agents agreed with my plan so you will follow my orders."

Peggy turned to him and glared, "with all due respect _sir_, I refuse to have any participation in risking the lives of abducted children."

"We have no choice agent Carter, these men wi-"

"We do have a choice! But you're too proud to actually listen to it unle-"

"You finish that sentence Carter, and I'll suspend you for insubordination."

The two agents glared at each other. Before Peggy could speak, Steve stepped in and hold out his arm between them, "sir, I hate to interrupt but maybe both of you could cool off your heads first," he turned to Peggy and gently grabbed her hand, "Peg? Please?"

Jack threw his arms in the air before turning to leave towards his office. The other agents went back to their respective desks to pack up for the day and Steve tuggged Peggy's hand to catch her attention. "What?" Frustration still evident in her voice.

Steve smiled, "come with me."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Peggy asked as soon as Steve sat on the driver's seat.

"You'll see."

It was a quiet drive, Peggy stared out the window and watched as the scenery changed. She was still mad at her co-workers for not listening and not having a sound mind to realize that Jack's plan to infiltrate an underground base filled with children was a terrible idea.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Steve lift her hand and press a gentle kiss to it. She turned to him and carressed his face. "I'm sorry darling, I just can't stand the idea of endangering children. They're probably scared, traumatized, and it's just not right."

Steve enveloped her hand with his, "no need to apologize honey, it's alright."

They were out of the city and a few minutes later, they approached a street lined with houses. Peggy saw children playing, adults walking their dogs, and elderly watering their garden. Steve took a left turn and parked the car in front of a small park.

Steve got out of the car and fetched a picnic basket from the backseat before opening the passenger's door for his wife. They'd been married for more than a year and he still felt like living in a dream whenever he was reminded they are married.

Peggy slipped her arm around his as they walked across the grass. They approached a tree in front of the park and Steve laid out the blanket and set their basket down.

* * *

After enjoying their snacks, they were cuddled together as they rested against the tree. The warm weather accompanied by the wind was comforting. Peggy released a sigh as she snuggled close. They've been watching the residents go through about their day, both thinking what it would be like for them in the near future.

Peggy looked up at Steve and kissed his cheek, "thank you, darling."

Steve smiled at her and kissed the top of her head, "I hope you were able to relax a bit."

"I did and I'm so grateful for you. For this. You're always so thoughtful," she closed her eyes and enjoyed the domesticity of the moment, "I promise I'll make it up to you soon."

Steve hummed and continued to ran his hand along her arm before speaking, "I passed by this area couple of months ago when I was driving around. I imagined us living in this kind of neighborhood, with kids growing up, I drive you to work, we'll walk the dog, enjoy the sunset, greet the neighbors. I imagine us enjoying life."

There were tears in Peggy's eyes as she listened to Steve's version of their life together. She wanted it all, she wanted that warmth, the love, the hapiness. Five years ago she thought all those dreams of a happy life was gone but now here she was.

"It'll be wonderful," she commented.

Steve chuckled, "I thought so too," he paused and squeezed her hand, "that's why when I saw this house was up for sale, I contacted the agent to inquire about it."

Peggy's eyes widened and she sat up straight and looked at her husband. "You did not," a huge smile appeared on her face as Steve nodded.

"I did. I bought the house a few weeks back. It's got a great location, not that far from the city. Safe neighborhood and the inside was great, also the backyard."

She launched herself at Steve and laughed as tears streamed down her face, "you. are. unbelievable." She pulled back and cupped his face, "I don't know what I did to deserve you." Steve kissed her and he felt her smile against his lips.

Steve knew Peggy was not the type of woman who needed saving, protecting, or anything that would make her feel like a damsel in distress but nobody said he couldn't spoil her when he can.

"How did you afford it?! It must've cost a fortune!" She looked at him with a worried expression.

Steve just shrugged, "the self-defense class was paying pretty well, and I was able to sell some of my drawings and paintings at a shop. Kids are quite fond with it."

Peggy went back to snuggle against him and laid her head on his chest. She felt as if her heart would burst from the happiness she was feeling and she couldn't wait to start making memories inside their home.

_Home_. She smiled to herself and looked around the neighborhood before she closed her eyes again.

* * *

**AN: **If you have any requests just drop 'em at the comments. Lemme know your thoughts.

~kingdomfictionalia


	3. Home, Love, Family

**AN:** I am so so sorry it took so long!

* * *

November 1951

Peggy sighed as she opened her eyes but immediately sat up when she found the other side of the bed empty. She squinted in the dark and saw that it was only 3:30 in the morning so she stood up and made her way towards their daughter's room quietly. She felt her stomach drop when she didn't see either her husband or daughter inside the nursery.

Peggy rushed back to their room and quickly pulled out her side arm from the drawer. Quietly, she peered down the stairs and heard utensils clattering softly. She descended the stairs, heart hammering against her chest, ready for any confrontation that may take place. Once she reached the landing, she saw a dim light coming from the living room and approached cautiously.

The sight that greeted her eased all her worries and she couldn't help the small upturn of her lips and the warmth the spread on her as she observed.

2 blankets were laid on the floor and were surrounded by couch cushions. Steve was looking down at his daughter with a soft smile, gently caressing her cheek with his finger. Peggy stayed in the dark, unnoticeable, wanting to keep this memory forever in her mind. She knew that Steve would be a good father, and it is not uncommon for her to find him being tender with Cathy and her. Still, seeing him like this gave her this sense of fulfillment that everything she needed in her life was already here.

"You know back in the future, everything seemed complicated" she heard Steve whisper. "The things you have just ain't enough and the horrors of the world keeps on getting uglier by day. And you know, despite all that, I kept your mother with me, she's been my compass through those years. She guided me and kept me grounded."

Steve laughed quietly. "Now you're here, I feel like I have to live up to that, I need to be that person for you. I want you to see the beauty of the world because you deserve it. I will make it my mission to protect our family no matter what. I love you princess."

Peggy moved towards them as Steve placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He didn't notice her until a hand was placed on his shoulder and he saw his wife kneeling beside him with unshed tears. "I love her so much Peg, thank you for giving me a beautiful family."

Peggy laughed before she leaned and gave him a soft kiss. When they broke apart, she asked, "why are you down here?"

Steve shrugged, "she woke up about an hour ago and she wouldn't stop crying, I tried to feed her, check if she's sick or needed to change, but nothing. She just held on to me tight and wouldn't let go. I figured it's best to bring her down here before she could wake you up."

Peggy nodded and joined her family on the blankets. She kissed her daughter's forehead and whispered, "sleep tight my sweet girl."

The warmth the she felt being with her little family was enough to drift her off to sleep and ease all her worries for now.

* * *

gimme prompts *wink*

~kingdomfictionalia


	4. No One Else

January 1949

Steve narrowed his eyes and followed Peggy's movements as if he's a predator waiting to jump on its prey. A few moments later, he released a heavy sigh and Peggy chuckled in response. "You have to speak your mind, darling. Sulking over there won't get you anywhere."

Steve stood up and shrugged as he put his hands inside his pockets, "just tell me who he is," he pleaded.

Peggy turned around from the sink and pursed her lips, eyes filled with mirth, "oh you are so jealous! You told me you're not!" she laughed quietly.

Steve frowned at her which Peggy found utterly adorable, so she walked towards him and rested her hands against his cheeks, "you have nothing to worry about Steve, I promise you that."

He covered her hands with his own, "he's an SSR agent too?"

Peggy rolled her eyes before she nodded, "yes he is, we weren't even together that long. Just the time I spent in California that's all."

"You were there for six months!" Steve argued with a look that made him seem like a child.

Peggy laughed again as she tapped his face before she dropped her hands back to her side and shrugged, "I wasn't there just to have a relationship with the man, was I? Keep in mind darling that he was my superior that time and well," she paused, "it didn't start off as smoothly as you can imagine."

"So what's his name?" Steve knew he was being unreasonable, jealous, and just a tad bit worried.

Peggy was getting exasperated, so she decided to humor him and went along with his questions. She leaned against the island and crossed her as she answered truthfully, "his name is Daniel Sousa, I've worked with him here in New York before he was transferred to the SSR office in California. He and I," she paused and looked at Steve who raised an eyebrow waiting for her to continue, "what will you even get out from this?"

Steve just shrugged telling her to continue, "He and I worked on a case together in California, that was when we got closer and it was really going well until…"

"Until what?"

Peggy clenched her jaw, "until he found out that me and Howard were still searching for you," she shrugged. "I did convince him eventually that I wasn't just using him to forget about you, but he insisted that he couldn't live up to the man that you were, well are." There was still more to it, he knew but he nodded.

Steve felt guilty for bringing that up and embraced her as an apology, "I didn't know, I'm sorry."

Peggy smiled, "that's quite all right, it's all in the past, best not to dwell on it."

They fell into silence and just enjoyed each other's company. Still in each other's arms, Steve began to sway them as if there's a slow song playing in the background, nights like this was something he dreamt of having back in his modern life. But no matter, even in this life, he knew he still has a duty to protect the woman in his life and try to save his best friend and make this life worth living.

* * *

~kingdomfictionalia


	5. Bullies and Bravery

July 1963

Peggy and Steve were enjoying the quietness of their backyard, just resting under the tree and being in each other's arms. Their moment was interrupted when the backdoor burst open and both adults had a look of concern when their eldest appeared out of breath. "Cathy what happened?" Steve asked as they rushed towards their daughter.

"Mi-Michael, blood, run fast," she took a deep breath and pointed outside the house.

Both parents rushed outside their home and frantically looked for their son. Catherine followed suit before leading her parents a few blocks down where they saw Michael sitting on the grass with a cloth pressed on his bloodied nose.

Steve crouched down and asked, "what happened kid?"

The 9-year old shook his head and sighed, "Marcus and some of the kids, they said some bad things about our family. I-I don't like it. I told them to stop but they wouldn't listen, I pushed Marcus back but that's it! It got out of hand when the other kids joined in."

Peggy looked over her son's arms and legs in case of any injuries. She released a sigh when there's no other injuries beside minor scratches on his palms and legs. She shared a look with her husband before placing a gentle kiss on Michael's head as they stood up, "Oh love, I'm sorry you have to hear those things, but you know your father and I have always been honest with you kids, right?"

Michael leaned into his mother and nodded, "I know that's why I got mad. What they're saying is not true and they just say it in front of my face because they know it's mean and hurtful."

Steve sighed, "I know it's hard to hear bad things from other people, but you always have to remember what I keep on telling you okay? We have to learn how to pick our fights. For now, I will handle this Marcus situation all right? No more bloody nose and street fights."

"Yes dad."

Cathy smiled at her brother, "it was brave of you Mike, but next time, if something like that happens again. Wait for me and we'll take them down together."

"Hey!" Both parents scolded.

Cathy laughed, "I'm kidding!"

They entered their house and Peggy attended to their son's injury and cleaned him up. Meanwhile, Steve looked at their 13-year-old and patted the space next to him. Cathy obliged and leaned into her father's side. "I know it's difficult for both of you to have us as your parents, if anything or anyone is bothering both of you, please tell us. I don't want another surprise like that again. Your mother will either have my head for not doing something or launch a counterattack all by herself."

The teen laughed and shrugged, "some kids are just jealous, and they don't know what sacrifices you guys are making every day. They don't know what it's like to be in your shoes so it's easy to say things."

Steve looked at his daughter with awe, "when did you become so clever?"

Cathy rolled her eyes in a manner that reminded Steve so much of his wife, except for the blonde hair and blue eyes which she got from him. "I guess I got lucky having Peggy Carter as my mother."

Steve laughed before he pulled Cathy into a tight hug as Peggy and his son entered the living room.

The brown-haired boy stuck to his mother's side like a leech, needing the comfort after being beaten up by the others. "Feeling better buddy?"

Michael nodded, "mama said I could go with her later at work."

Steve smiled, "that's great! You think you can say hi to uncle Howard for me?"

The boy smiled widely, "yeah!"

Steve and Peggy shared a smile. Michael was a shy kid, but brave, just like his father. They knew that there were times he'll seek one of his parents' comfort when he feels down or in pain. It will take them great effort to help him grow out of his self-consciousness, but they would do everything, to help him be the best version of himself.

* * *

~kingdomfictionalia


	6. Much Needed Comfort

**AN:** I'm so sorry it took me so long! I got busy with college and so I kinda abandoned this for a while. With the quarantine still in effect, I've got a bit of time tonight after finishing some tasks for uni. I hope you guys are doing okay, please stay safe. Let me know what you think about this…don't worry it's not covid-19 themed, I need an escape from that too. Enjoy!

* * *

December 1948

Steve felt himself dropped to the ground. He coughed as the air was pushed out of his lungs from the impact. He didn't know where he was or how he got there. Using his elbows for support, he raised himself up, groaning in discomfort as his muscles protested against his movement. He felt the shiver that ran down his spine as the scene in front of him unfold, _this has to be a dream._

He was back in 2023, his friends fighting against Thanos' allies. The blaring sounds of scream and explosion went straight to his brain and he readied himself to fight. He began to move but before he could charge towards the war, his body stiffened and he was immobilized. He looked down and saw nothing out of ordinary, he tried to move again but it was like there was something preventing him to do so.

He struggled against himself, frustrated at his unfortunate situation. He looked back up towards the battle and he watched as bodies fell to the ground one after the other. Anger built inside him and he screamed out of helplessness. Suddenly, a voice boomed through the battle, he knew who it was.

"Thor!" He shouted, hoping that he would be heard. He tried a few more times but it seemed that the god of thunder was already preoccupied.

He saw Thor ran with the Stormbreaker in hand, he swung it to the enemy and Steve's eyes widened when his friend crouched down to the ground next to a limp body. He squinted his eyes, dread washed over him as Thor bowed his head, his hands cradling Rocket's body.

Out of the corner of his eye, Steve noticed Scott in his enlarged form, carrying Peter's body. His eyes immediately searched for Tony and knew that his friend would be devastated if he found out. Filled with a new wave of despair, he screamed and struggled to break loose. As his strength decreased, he breathed heavily and closed his eyes, _it's only a dream, wake up!_ He thought to himself. Nothing happened and he knew there was no other choice but to watch in horror.

However, when he opened his eyes, his friends were gathered around him, battered and bruised, carrying the fallen ones in their arms. He swallowed the lump in his throat, ready to apologize, but as he opened his mouth, no sounds came out. Instead he heard Sam's voice, "why did you leave Steve?"

He was about to answer when Bucky cut him off, "you said you'll be there till the end of the line."

"I thought I was your friend?" Tony came next.

Steve didn't know what was happening, everything became blurry and the sounds muffled on his ears. A pang of guilt went through him as his teammates gathered around him, nagging him for not helping them beat the war.

Another voice stood out and it felt like a stab to his heart, "do you think you can punch your way out of this?"

He turned his head and saw Natasha tilting her head with her arms crossed. His eyes were unfocused and began to feel heavy. The others continued to gather around him. Steve felt suffocated, "please…enough! I'm sorry! Please…stop!"

* * *

Peggy was sleeping soundly until she felt a nudge on her back. She tried to ignore it but then another came with more force. She opened her eyes and turned towards Steve, her eyes scanning his face and saw the restlessness on his features. She sat up and stroke his hair, "Steve?" Somehow it did not soothe him from his nightmares and she knew she had to wake him up.

She placed her other hand on his arm and shook him lightly, "darling," she whispered. He was whispering in his sleep, each word getting louder. She tried to wake him again but it seemed that he was very deep into his nightmare that he couldn't get back to her.

She tapped his cheek while pressing a delicate kiss on his forehead, "you have to wake up darling, I'm here." She focused on whispering to him, trying to calm him if he wouldn't wake up from his bad dream.

Peggy felt him shift a little and pulled back just to get a look at him. Slowly, Steve's eyes opened and he immediately reached for her, his arms wrapping around her waist, nuzzling his head on her neck. She sighed and raked her fingers through his hair, peppering his forehead with kisses. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked quietly.

Steve was silent for a moment before he brought them in a reclining position against the head board. "I-I was back in the war in 2023. My friends were there and…I tried to help…but I couldn't move. I saw Nat and Bucky, Tony, they all looked at me with such fear and sadness, I've let them down, Peg," he shared.

Peggy's heart broke for him, after months of being back together, she was accustomed to these sleep interruptions. She didn't know how to help him, all she could do was be there when he woke up and provide him the comfort that he needed. It seemed to work well since his nightmare didn't occur twice in one night. "I'm sorry you have to endure that," she whispered. "You didn't let them down Steve, you've won the war, you made it. Don't let this bad dream ruin the good outcome of all your efforts. Your team looks up to you and trusts you. And I'm sure, Natasha, wherever she is, she'd be proud having you as her family. Dedicate your victory to the ones you've lost, honor their memories. It is not a crime to live your life after all that you've gone through."

Steve took a deep breath and let her words sink in, he turned his head and brushed his lips against hers. He kept their foreheads resting against each other and brought his hand to her cheek, "thank you for staying with me."

Peggy smiled at him tenderly, "thank you for coming back to me."

* * *

**AN:** I actually have no idea what to do when someone's having a nightmare so if it's inaccurate please forgive me lol. Anyway, if yall are still reading this, you guys can leave me a prompt, just drop them in your reviews/comments, I'll try to write some of them if I have time, during this quarantine or some time after that. Hope yall are safe!

~kingdomficationalia


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